Ballet and being overweight
OpalineRhapsody
Posts: 8 Member
I started ballet when I was 3 years old and danced for 10 years. I ended up quitting because as I started puberty and found myself growing taller and curvier, I suddenly felt out of place in that world of petite, thin, delicate girls. I'm naturally built along more substantial lines, so even when I was in great shape I was still bigger than the others. I always regretted letting that defeat me, especially since I ended up quitting before I could go on pointe.
I tried to get back into dance in high school, but by that time I'd topped off at 240 pounds. I couldn't muster up the courage and conviction to just do what needed to be done to get in ballet shape. I gave up, again.
Last semester I took a beginning ballet class at my junior college to just test the waters and was amazed by how much my body remembered... and how much I'd missed dancing. After seeing how hard I worked, the ballet teacher suggested I skip over Ballet 2 and go straight to Ballet 3 for next semester and I immediately signed up for the course, along with a Contemporary dance course as well. I'll be taking dance classes 4 times a week this way. It'll be a challenge-- while I may remember the steps, getting my out of shape body to cooperate's gonna be fun-- but I really feel like this is something I need to do.
I'm using this summer to get a little closer to in-shape using swimming, running, and yoga. I'm also working on my feet in preparation for pointe, with help from my sister who happens to be a dancer/dance instructor. If I pass the pointe exam in Ballet 3 or 4, I can start working with pointe shoes, which is the real goal of all this. I really want to go on pointe.
If anyone has suggestions on what I can do to keep working towards my goal of increased flexibily/endurance/strength and decreased fat, workout tips or maybe meal ideas, I'd really appreciate hearing them. I'm not giving up this time and I'll take all the help I can get to stick to it!
I tried to get back into dance in high school, but by that time I'd topped off at 240 pounds. I couldn't muster up the courage and conviction to just do what needed to be done to get in ballet shape. I gave up, again.
Last semester I took a beginning ballet class at my junior college to just test the waters and was amazed by how much my body remembered... and how much I'd missed dancing. After seeing how hard I worked, the ballet teacher suggested I skip over Ballet 2 and go straight to Ballet 3 for next semester and I immediately signed up for the course, along with a Contemporary dance course as well. I'll be taking dance classes 4 times a week this way. It'll be a challenge-- while I may remember the steps, getting my out of shape body to cooperate's gonna be fun-- but I really feel like this is something I need to do.
I'm using this summer to get a little closer to in-shape using swimming, running, and yoga. I'm also working on my feet in preparation for pointe, with help from my sister who happens to be a dancer/dance instructor. If I pass the pointe exam in Ballet 3 or 4, I can start working with pointe shoes, which is the real goal of all this. I really want to go on pointe.
If anyone has suggestions on what I can do to keep working towards my goal of increased flexibily/endurance/strength and decreased fat, workout tips or maybe meal ideas, I'd really appreciate hearing them. I'm not giving up this time and I'll take all the help I can get to stick to it!
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Replies
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I just started ballet classes again after 17 years.. So last time I took a class I was 18 and now I am 35... Yeah.. I have NO turn out left and flexibility is not where it use to be. Amazingly the hardest thing is turns across the floor. I get super dizzy. Have to work on my spotting. I am 3 classes in and loving it! Have class tomorrow morning and thursday morning.
I will tell you that I have lost about 40 lbs in the last year... I started Crossfit about 17 months ago and then in January added running to the mix. That helped me shed weight, get toned and gain a ton of strength which I really showing in the class. My brain hasnt quite caught up (some combinations are tricky)... But I am able to do a lot of what the class is doing without issue. I have been trying to stretch at home some... My feet are really tight after class and cramp a little. Haven't had to point my toes in 17 years .
Food - ) have been eat a "clean" (mostly with a paleo-ish trend) diet. You can check out my diary if you like. At the grocery I mostly buy meat (raw or I do get a roasted chicken one a week to save time), fresh veggies, fresh fruit, greek yogurt and eggs. I try to cook atleast 80% of my meals a week from scratch. And I think that has really helped. ALso I cut out soda about 60 days ago and have been mostly drinking water and iced green tea (arizona diet). I stay really hydrated and get as much sleep as possible.
COngrats on getting back to dancing!0 -
Thanks for the input! I really should cut back on my carbs and up my protein and vegetables, heh.0
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Don't worry about cutting carbs so much as just staying with your deficit. That's the way to win the weight war.
Secondly- I would encourage you to weight train. I dance regularly- in a program- and while I danced as a child- I was never proficient- but after almost a decade of real training- I have increased flexibility- better posture- and I can pull a pretty good chenne turn.
BUT- the weight training really is helpful as well.
I'm constantly surprised by the cross over between dance and lifting and how they have both helped me.
It'll happen for you- just take ALL THE DANCE CLASSES!!! ALL THE TIME!!!
WOOT WOOT!0 -
Start lifting some heavy weights to get stronger. Your muscles will need it come ballet 3! Good luck!0
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I'm a little late in commenting on this post.
I am a professional working ballet dancer. I've been doing ballet for (not to give away how old I am) some 22-24 years. After taking a hiatus for 5 years from ballet and pointe, I had really wanted to get back into it. But was so afraid that having been off pointe for such a long time. I finally just started dancing again and was back on pointe and performing in a Nutcracker within 6 months. I then auditioned for a local company and made it. Now that sounds great, but I was told that I was still pretty weak on pointe and jumps (and I could tell I was).
It takes a lot of strength to do pointe work. Many ballet dancers suggest against weight training...there's a stigma that it's going to develop large unsightly muscles rather than the long lean muscles of a ballerina. Well, to move up in company, I really wanted to improve the weaknesses that I had, and started going to the gym to do weight training. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. I have been weight training now for 4 years on top of my ballet routine. It works- and no unsightly muscles. If anything they are just more defined. I would suggest stretching after all your weight sessions, because I'm a pretty flexible person, and a weight lifting session makes my muscles tighter. So I do 30 minutes to an hour of stretching each day that I weight train.
If you're interested in tips and tricks and weight training exercises that I do specific to ballet- check out my blog: http://fitterinaballerina.wordpress.com It's a pretty new blog, but I've promised myself to update it frequently as my own personal form of self-motivation.
Good luck with your ballet
~Jess0
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